Opportunities from Council 2

Annual General Meeting 3

Cookie News 3

Awards & Scholarships 4

Program Ideas 5

Event Squad 6

Brownie Connect Carnaval 7

District Stories 8

WTA 90th Anniversary 9

Camp Wa-Thik-Ane 10

Summer Camp 11

Safe Guide News 12

First Aid Courses 12

Public Relations 13

Treasurers’ Trove 13

Event Calendar / Office News 14

www.guidesquebec.ca

guidesquebec.wordpress.com

100 Alexis-Nihon, Suite 270

Saint-Laurent, Québec

H4M 2N7

(t) 514-933-5839

(f) 514-933-7591

info@guidesquebec.ca

The Piccolo Québec Council

Conseil du Québec

Staff positions at Camp

Wa-Thik-Ane available

New First Aid courses

scheduled

AGM announcement

New program ideas

Join the Event Squad!

Making connections to celebrate

World Thinking Day

provincial scholarships will be awarded in 2016

Find out more about provincial and national scholarships on page 4

2 This could

be your year!

“You mean they really arrive with nothing?” Greenfield Park Guides joined in provincial efforts to

take action for Syrian refugees.

Read more on page 8

The 1st Greenfield Park Guides filled 15 bags of items for Syrian refugees

All smiles at Secteur Argenteuil’s district Thinking Day event

On February 20, Brownies from

around the province gathered in

Montreal for a colourful celebra-

tion of Thinking Day on the theme

of ’Connect’. More about the

Brownie Connect

Carnaval on page 7

(Below) Brownies made welcome cards for refugee children and filled hand sewn bags filled with books and art supplies.

Opportunities from Council

For more about what these new positions represent, as well as other volunteer opportunities to support Guiding in Québec… Click HERE to read all about it!

Girl Engagement

Coordinator

Member Services

Coordinator

Risk & Compliance

Adviser

Liaison between QC Council and the

Program, Camping, and International

Advisers and their committees

Liaison between QC Council and the PR

& Communications, Membership, and

Training Advisers and their committees

Bring experience in assessing and

mitigating risk

Advise and educate on matters of com-

pliance, accountability and risk as re-

gards properties, human resources,

member management and business

processes

Identify and inform QC Council regard-

ing current issues and trends relevant to

organizational risk factors

Assist in development of plans

to mitigate risk

Both these Coordinators:

Ensure support for these essential activities, through her representation of their

needs on QC Council

Facilitate the relationships of these committees, to best work collaboratively on ac-

tions that achieve our common Strategic Goals

Share Council priorities and direction that impact the committees’ focus

YOU can help shape Guiding’s future in Québec!

The three new positions below are coming to provincial council in May 2016:

Message from the PC If you read last week’s Guidepost, or have heard from your District Commissioner, you are likely aware of the recent de-

lay in production of our Classic Spring Cookies.

In Québec we are very fortunate that the delays have affected our calendar in a minimal way. The necessary change of

dates for Cookie Days in Eastern Canada has, however, collided with our anticipated date for Festi-Guides.

Recognizing that this is a scenario that would stress our volunteers, the decision has been made to transform the Festi-

Guides energy into building and sharing event-based resources that all districts can take advantage of when the timing is

right for their own communities.

Check out details later in this Piccolo and find out more about the Event Squad! It might be a perfect fit for YOU!

Are you a person who:

has a strong belief in what Girl Guides is all about for our girl and adult members?

has good knowledge of Girl Guides, our programs, Vision, Mission, and Safe Guide?

would like to get more involved in the administration of Québec Guiding?

is able to look at the big picture?

would like to have a say in how Guiding runs in Québec?

is willing to learn and stretch yourself in ways you could never imagine?

would like to add some skills to your CV?

AGM 2016

Cookie News

NEW dates for Cookie Days

Due to an unforeseen production issue, delivery of spring cookies will

be delayed. As a result, Cookie Days will now be the weekend of

April 30 and May 1. See details in the March Guidepost. Revised deliv-

ery dates will be shared as soon as they become available.

Cookie Pre/Order Form

We’re pulling an old favourite out for you to share with your girls!

Download this handy tracking sheet to collect cookie orders!

And don’t forget about the treasure of cookie-selling tools and ideas

available on the Cookie Resources page of our provincial website.

Awards & Scholarships

Have you nominated a fellow Guider or girl member for an award lately?

Here’s how to proceed for awards that require provincial approval:

Request an iMIS profile for the person you are nominating (imis@guidesquebec.ca)

Complete the R.3P form available on the Forms page of MemberZone (PDF copy HERE)

Obtain the necessary letter(s) of recommendation. Attach the letters and the profile to the R.3P form.

Forward letters to your Commissioner or to the Awards Team (awards.reconnaissance@guidingquebec.ca) for approval.

Nominations can be shared at a meeting, by telephone poll or by e-mail vote. Each member of the district or

Awards Team vote to approve or not approve the award. (You must have a majority vote.)

If approved, the signature of the Commissioner is required along with the name of the council.

Send the R.3P to the provincial office for input into iMIS.

Purchase the award.

If the presentation date on the form differs from the actual presentation date, it is the responsibility of the Guider

who signed the R.3P form to advise the provincial office of the change.

Upon presentation of the award, the recipient can be given the letters of recommendation.

The iMIS profile must be destroyed.

For Adult Awards, letters of recommendation must contain the following “buzz” words:

Quebec Award: Distinctive | Medal of Merit: Exceptional | Gold: Outstanding

Silver: Excellent | Bronze: Dedicated | Thanks: Good For additional awards, consult Unit Support Resources in MemberZone.

If you presented awards to your Guiders in the last Guiding year at your annual district function,

did you inform the office so that they could be added to the Guiders’ profiles? It’s not too late.

For awards that do not require provincial approval, we ask that the DC please send the information to

imis@guidesquebec.ca. All awards presented at the provincial Annual General Meeting (AGM) are updated through

the office as they are recorded in the AGM minutes and approval and compiled by the Provincial Awards Specialist.

Annette Levasseur, Provincial Awards Specialist | awards.reconnaissance@guidesquebec.ca

PROVINCIAL SCHOLARSHIP

***2 scholarships will be offered this year!***

Who can apply? Any registered Québec member of

GGC-GdC who is entering or pursuing post-

secondary education (in any field of study) on a full

time basis.

This scholarship is based on your active Guiding

and community involvement. Former Guiders are

not eligible to apply.

Deadline to apply: June 1st, 2016

Details are available on the QC website.

NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

The National Scholarship Program is one of the ways that GGC-GdC recognizes members who embody the Mission and Values of the organiza-tion.

Scholarships are open to girl and adult members who are pursuing post-secondary education at a recognized college, university, or trades program.

Deadline to apply: April 1st, 2016

More information on the

national website.

Program Ideas

National Nutrition Month!

Are you looking to talk about healthy eating with your

unit? Field Trip Factory offers free nutrition outings in

French and English in eight Provigo stores in Québec.

Registered dietitians guide the students through the aisles

of the grocery store teaching them about making healthy

food choices and introducing them to an easy-to-use food navigation system

called Guiding Stars. There is a snack offered at the end of the tour and a

goody bag. Field Trip Factory has worked with other GGC Councils, and is

now promoting within Québec. Take a look at the Field Trip Factory website,

for more information.

Charyl Hyndman, Program Adviser; Lizzie Knowles, Deputy Program Adviser | programme@guidesquebec.ca

How I Stay Safe - a personal safety workshop that can be tied in to

program work at all levels

Find out more about this interactive safety program offered by the Missing Children’s Network.

They also offer seminars for adults.

PROGRAM CONNECTIONS | Sparks: Being Healthy Keeper, In My Community Keeper; Brownies: Key to I Can—Staying Safe; Guides: You and Others—Learn

About Safety, Law Awareness, Street Wise, Computer Skills; Pathfinders: Safe at Home or Out and About; Rangers: n/a; All branches: Cybercitizen Challenge

Looking for a fun spring

outing with your unit?

The Geordie Theatre offers group rates

(20%) for groups of 10 or more.

Regular ticket prices (subject to taxes):

$14.50– children; $16.50 students/

seniors; $18.50 adults

Beethoven Lives Upstairs is aimed at children ages 6 and up. The arrival of an eccen-tric boarder turns a young boy’s life upside down: Ludwig van Beethoven has moved upstairs! At first young Christoph resents the new tenant but slowly comes to understand the genius of the man, the torment of his deafness and the beauty of his music. A heart-felt and mesmerizing tribute for all ages, Beethoven Lives Upstairs introduces audiences

to some of the composer’s most memorable works.

D.B. Clarke Theatre, Concordia University Hall Building, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Montreal, 514-845-9810

PROGRAM CONNECTIONS | Sparks: In My Community Keeper; Brownies: Key to

My Community/Key to the Arts—Special Interest Badge; Guides: Discovering You—

Discover your Creativity, Beyond You—Discovery Your Community, Performing Arts;

Pathfinders: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, The Arts from A to Z; Rangers: Commu-

nity Connections/Explore Your Creativity—Your Interests

MARCH is...

Don’t forget to check out our four

Engineering Meetings-in-a-box!

Find more meetings-in-a-box and program

ideas by branch on our provincial website:

> Volunteers > Current Member Volun-

teers > Program Ideas

PROGRAM CONNECTIONS | Sparks: Being Healthy, In My Community; Brownies:

Jobs in the Community, Fabulous Food, Food Power; Guides: Discovering You—

Stay Fit and Healthy, Beyond You—Discovery Your Community, Healthy Eating;

Pathfinders: We Are What We Eat, Now You’re Cooking, Getting Food on the Ta-

ble; Rangers: Healthy Living

Opportunities

To register, please send the information requested below to Angela Whelton-Quinn at

awheltonquinn@gmail.com no later than Wednesday, March 16 and include the following details:

This has always been a popular event for Girl Guides and once again we will have a group walking in the pa-rade this year. It is a great opportunity to show off our flags and be seen with our green. We are permitted a maximum of 100 participants. If you would like to walk in the parade with your unit, please register with

us so that we can keep track of the number of participants.

Parents and siblings are welcome but no pets. Wagons are useful for Sparks as it is a long route. So polish the brass on your flags, unfurl your banners, and show off your Irish green pompoms - everyone loves a parade!

Those registered will get more info about where and when the line-up is on parade day.

Montreal St. Patrick’s Day Parade - Sunday, March 20

Unit name E-mail address

Name of Contact Guider Number of participants

Phone number

Do you think you are a great Guiding cheerleader? Are you full of creative en-

ergy and do you enjoy celebrating Great Guiding in your neighbourhood? We

are seeking volunteers who would like to be a part of our PR Event Squad!

A team of people excited to help with Girl Guide booths during local events this spring and summer, Event

Squad members will receive the latest news on opportunities to highlight Guiding in our extended communi-

ties. It might be helping to get the pop-up from the office, running an activity at the GGC booth, or talking to

the public about our amazing organization. We are looking for YOU!

Let us know if you have a few hours to give in the spring or summer

to help another district in need and join our team—send a message

to communications@guidesquebec.ca to get your name on the

list! There will be an orientation and mentoring meeting for those in-

terested in early April.

Are weekend opportunities hard for your family to manage? Many

of these Event Squad call outs will be family-friendly, and your

daughters can be very much part of the action—they are shining

examples of what Guiding means to them, and to your family. The

more people who pitch in, the better for us all!

Brownie Connect Carnaval Québec Brownies took part in a

full day of activities centered on

World Thinking Day and the

international friendships it cele-

brates. They learned all about our

Twinning partner Perú and even

took part in some Spanish les-

sons. The day included a service

project to prepare welcome bags

for refugee children.

(Left) Español for beginners!

(above) Over 70 hand sewn fabric

bags were crafted by Guider Nancy

Shaw then filled with books, art sup-

plies, and personal welcome cards

from Québec Brownies.

(above) Sharing our gifts with

agencies helping refugee fami-

lies, including the Dorval

Mosque. Mr. Mehmet Deger was

very happy to pass them along!

(Below) The giving

goes on and on!

Check out our new

provincial total!

Be sure to visit our

Twinning 2020 Perú-

Canada Facebook

page!

District Stories

Members are always invited to submit photos and stories from your Guiding adventures! Please email photos along with a short de-scription to communications@guidesquebec.ca. Need more information? Download the Piccolo submission guidelines.

Taking action for refugees… and a better world by Laurene Bennett

The following piece originally appeared on the GGC QC blog.

With the plight of Syrian (and other) refugees so prominent in the news, the 1st Greenfield Park Guides took special notice when a Québec Council email “Take Action Now” arrived in our in-boxes. The email mentioned that GGC would be tracking the efforts of units across Québec to collect warm clothing for families fleeing from war and upheaval.

This was just the catalyst we leaders needed. At our last

meeting before the Christmas holidays, the four of us talked

to our unit about what it meant to be a refugee. Would the

girls be interested in doing something to help displaced fami-

lies settle into a new life in Canada? Our Guides were enthu-

siastic. Within 10 minutes, they had come up with a long list

of items they could collect. From winter coats, blankets and

school supplies to toys and toothpaste, their ideas were im-

pressive. One girl thoughtfully proposed that we could raise

money to pay

for a Guiding

membership for

a refugee girl.

To build momentum, we started off our January programming with a round robin

of activities based on a “Syria” theme. The girls learned some simple Arabic

words such as “welcome” and “family”. They located Syria on a world map and

worked together to answer a quiz about that country. They discovered that girls

in Syria could belong to Girl Guides and that their promise was not unlike our

own. “I think this made them realize that the refugees were real human beings

just like them,” noted our newest leader, Marie-Lissa.

After that, the girls started collecting many of the articles they had brainstormed back in December.

After two weeks, when all the donations had arrived, we made a game of sorting, counting and fold-

ing them. In the end, there was a mound of 15 large green garbage bags, each filled to the brim.

Seeing the piles of sweaters, mitts, hats, coats and other items helped the girls better comprehend

the reality of being a refugee. You could see the mental wheels turning when they asked, “You mean

they really arrive with nothing?”

This initiative gave our unit a common purpose that girls, leaders and parents all shared. And we saw

how even small actions on our part can, and do, contribute to a better world.

This blog post was submitted by Laurene (Laurie) Bennett, one of four leaders with the

Greenfield Park Guides, on Montreal’s South Shore. She and her co-leaders would like to

thank our provincial Guiders and Greenfield Park Brownie leader Cindy for giving them the

information they needed to get started.

WTA 90th Anniversary

Property Committee | lacbouchette@guidesquebec.ca

To kick off Wa-Thik-Ane’s 90th Anniver-sary, all units, gatherings and/or districts are invited to book one of the 90 days on

the official Campfire Calendar!

On that date they can record a snippet of a campfire song (edit down to your best minute!), or take a photo of their group, to be posted on a special page of the

Québec blog.

Email wta90@guidesquebec.ca to book your date.

Let's fill every one of those 90 days, commemorating each of those 90

years!

Be creative and be counted.

Challenge another district.

Make this an “emerald” year.

Please send your photos, videos and other memories of Wa-Thik-Ane to wta90@guidesquebec.ca.

SAVE THE DATE

COME CELEBRATE WA-THIK-ANE’S

90th ANNIVERSARY!

GGC Members and Alumnae of Camp Wa-Thik-Ane,

There will be many activities on this 90th Anniversary weekend:

Guiders’ Only Night: Friday, August 12, 2016 (overnight camping)

Group Reservations: August 13 – 14, 2016 (Guiders and Girls)

Formal Anniversary Celebrations:

Saturday afternoon, August 13, 2016

More details and reservation forms to come

Come and share your WTA memories… and make new ones!

Here are just a few of the campfire moments that have already been shared! See them all here

Camp Wa-Thik-Ane

Property Committee | lacbouchette@guidesquebec.ca

Please see the Camp Wa-Thik-Ane page on the website for more information on the 2016 reservation process.

At the time of publication, the remaining available sites at Camp Wa-Thik-Ane for spring/summer 2016 are:

May 13-15 all sites

May 20-22 all sites

May 27-29 Algonquin, MicMac

June 3-5 MicMac

June 17-19 all sites and Stavert Lodge

June 24-26 Stavert Lodge, Algonquin, Cree

July 1-3 all sites and Stavert Lodge

July 8-10 all sites and Stavert Lodge

Pioneer sites:

Montagnais is available all weekends.

Chippewa is available all weekends, except June 24-26.

That’s right, in ten years we will open our time capsule located at the Provincial office in time for Wa-Thik-Ane’s 100th Anniversary.

Consider adding something small you have made

at camp or at a unit meeting, like a letter, photo-

graphs, personal message or a favourite thing.

(Please choose very small items to ensure that

everyone has an opportunity to participate.)

They can be dropped off at the office or at Wa-

Thik-Ane’s 90th Anniversary celebrations this com-

ing August 13th-14th.

Camp Wa-Thik-Ane

Full summer camp details including registration forms and the 2016 brochure can be found on the Camping page of the

provincial website.

We are currently putting together this year’s team of summer camp volunteers. Interested? Email wwwta@guidesquebec.ca and we’ll send you details of the first meeting.

Sign up today for summer camp

at Wa-Thik-Ane.

Click HERE for all the details

Spring/summer staff positions at Wa-Thik-Ane still available:

Lifeguard

Lifesaver

Read the position descriptions here.

Interested candidates should forward CVs to:

dir-operations@guidesquebec.ca

Qualified candidates will be called for an interview.

NEW COURSES

ADDED

Safe Guide News

Louise Triggs, Safe Guide Adviser | sg.gs@guidesquebec.ca

There is only one email address where you should send Safe Guide assessments and questions:

sg.gs@guidesquebec.ca

Please delete all other Safe Guide email address references in your address books.

Congratulations to all Guiders who have completed their Safe Guide training in the last two months.

Guiders who have not complied with Safe Guide training requirements have already been notified. Please update your qualifications quickly.

REMINDERS for planning spring camps and activities

Give new or different Guiders the opportunity to do the paperwork so they can gain new experience.

For a YELLOW activity, send the SG.1, SG.2, SG.3, SG.4, and SG.5/7 if applicable to sg.gs@guidesquebec.ca at least 14 days before your activity for assessment.

Pay special attention to the SG.4. Use Appendix H and consider your own situation. Your Assessor will provide you with the provincial emergency contact for GGC.

Make sure First Aid qualifications, PRCs and A.7s are recorded in iMIS. (Contact imis@guidesquebec.ca if you have any doubts.)

If the Assessor requires more information, please provide it to them ASAP to help ensure your activity is reviewed promptly.

If in doubt, ask, or consult the Safe Guide document.

First Aid Courses

Recertification Course* for Emergency and Standard First Aid (8 hours)

*Pre-requisite: All recertification participants must have a current (not expired) Red Cross certification at the time of the course, must bring their own Red Cross First Aid & CPR Manual (2011 edition) to the course, and must review the content of the manual before the course.

Recertification - 8 hours - 3 year certification, own manual, $85

Sunday, April 17, 2016, 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m., West Island (location TBD)

Full Courses (required if you have no certification or one that has already expired)

Emergency First Aid - 8 hours - 3 year certification, $105

Saturday, April 9, 2016, 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m., West Island

Sunday, April 10, 2016, 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m., Lachute

Standard First Aid - 16 hours - 3 year certification, own manual, $125

Saturday, April 9 and Saturday, April 16, 2016, 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m., West Island

Remember, upon completion, GGC QC will reimburse two thirds of the course cost for active Guiders.

For details and to register, or to book a course for your own district or Guiding community, please email Joan Lax at pulseaideinc@gmail.com

Public Relations

Treasurers’ Trove

Dawn Coffey, Treasurer Support Specialist | finances-support@guidesquebec.ca

News for Treasurers keeping books for multi-unit accounts:

I’m putting a new version of the workbook up on the website, with the Multi-Unit Account Tracking Sheet after each of the Main Form sheets. Most of the information will transfer over; you will just have to fill in the amount for each Unit or the Dis-trict. If you want to transfer amounts between Units and/or the District, put “Internal Transfer” on one line in the Main Form to allow a line to do so on the Tracking Sheet. Let me know if something doesn’t work!

Many thanks to the District Treasurers who turned out

on February 27 to help review each others’ books.

For those of the District Treasurers who did not attend, note that the District Financial Books should have been sent to the office by now.

The Unit and Trefoil Guild books should have been re-

viewed and the Annual Financial Reports and Financial Review Checklists should have been sent to the office.

For books which have been reviewed (i.e. Unit books), we don’t need copies of spreadsheets sent to the office, just the AFR and FRCs. But remember that you must keep all documentation (including receipts or copies of the receipts if the originals were sent in for taxation purposes as well as copies of the spread-sheets, etc.) for 7 years.

Don’t forget your CWFF money! Your District should send a

cheque to the provincial office. It should be for at least all money you have collected if you had a special event, or a minimum of $1.00 per member.

Cookies will soon be here. Remember there is a blackout on

other fundraising for one month after the cookies arrive. This al-lows our girls to concentrate on the best fundraiser available to us!

If you have any questions about Guiding finances, e-mail me at finances-support@guidesquebec.ca

KIOSK-TO-GO

Would you like to have a booth at a local event but don't know where to start? Maybe

you’d like to invite the public to experience what Guiding has to offer at your own celebra-

tion? Look no further than the Kiosk-to-Go resource document, launching in the April

Piccolo!

It will contain information on what materials you may need, what's available at the office and elsewhere,

ideas for activities you might use to attract kids and parents, and ways you can network with other Guiders

in the province for input and assistance.

Get out in your community with the Kiosk-to-Go!

New resources coming your way!

Participating in local

events can be a great

way to grow Guiding in

your district!

Shannon Jackson, Diane Oki; PR Committee Co-Chairs | pr.rp@guidesquebec.ca

The Piccolo is published by Québec Council on the 2nd Thursday of every month (except the month of July) and contains valuable information for all

members. Deadline for submissions to the April issue: April 7. Editor: Rebecca Purver | communications@guidesquebec.ca

The provincial office will be closed

on Friday, March 25 and Monday,

March 28 for the Easter holidays.

Upcoming Events TBD Spring Cookie Deliveries

April 1 GGC National Scholarships - applications due

April 30 - May 1 Cookie Days in Canada

May 2-8 Make a Difference Day: National Mental Health Week

May 5 GGC-QC Annual General Meeting

May 7 Camp Opening Weekend

June 1 GGC-QC Scholarship applications due

July 15 - August 6 Summer Camp at Wa-Thik-Ane

August 12 - 14 Wa-Thik-Ane 90th Anniversary weekend - Save the date!

Rebecca is moving on…

We bid farewell to Rebecca Purver as

she leaves her position as Communica-

tions and PR Coordinator for Québec

Council to pursue another professional

opportunity. Thank you for your contri-

bution to our Provincial Team and we

wish you well as you embark on your

new challenge.

News from the office

(above and right)

Thinking Day was celebrated in

style in Riverdale District! Brown-

ies and Guides hosted a tea party

complete with china cups and

fascinators which they created

themselves!